Paper wasps are also known as umbrella Wasps which is due to the design of the way they build their nest. Paper Wasps are 1.8cm to 2.5cm long and are a light brownish colour with yellow markings on their head and body.
Paper Wasps collect plant stems, bark, dead wood chips and other sort of fibres to which they breakdown then mix with their saliva to construct their waterproof nest. Paper Wasps nest have a stalk with open combs to which the Paper Wasps will secrete a chemical which will repel ants and insects. This will also stop their larvae from falling from the nest. You will most likely see Paper Wasps nest in trees, pergola the eaves of your home and pipelines.
There is over 1200 species of Paper Wasps worldwide and Paper Wasps are a subfamily of the Polistinae species.
Paper Wasps will only ever attack humans or animals if they feel as though their nest is under attack. If the Paper Wasps do attack they will attack in groups and with their stinger can leave a nasty bite and with some people can cause an anaphylactic shock reaction.
Paper Wasps will feed on flies, nectar, small insects and their larvae.
Paper Wasps are more prominent in the warmer months as they like humid climates.
Did you know that the Paper Wasps has the ability to recognise other Wasps, they have facial recognition which is similar to humans. This allows them to recognise other Paper Wasps as each Paper Wasp have different markings on their head and body.

European Wasps
The European Wasp also known as the VespulaGermanica, German Wasp or the German yellow jacket was introduced in Australia by accident in the 1970s.
The European Wasp is roughly 13mm with a blackish body with yellow patterns, it is very similar to the Paper Wasp the only difference is the European Wasp has 3 black dots on its head and more dots on its abdomen.
The European Wasp builds their nest in concealed areas such as wall cavities, garden bedding and grass areas. They do this by finding opening holes and start collecting material such as decaying wood, mulch, plant fibres and any other organic matter.
The European Wasp love to feed on fermenting fruit, insects, and anything that has a sweet taste.
Unlike Bees who only sting once The European Wasp will sting several times. The European Wasp is a vicious species and will attack very aggressive to defend their nest. If European Wasp stings you in the throat you must get medical attention as the venom can lead to your airways closing up and you will be unable to breathe.
Queen European Wasp will hibernate in the winter and will emerge from her makeshift nest in the spring time to form a new nest. Once the queen builds their new nest the queen will start depositing her eggs in each of the cells in the nest. Once the queens offspring are mature they will than take over the nest and will continue building the nest for the queen to reproduce. The difference between a queen and her worker is that the queen is a little larger than the workers.
Like the Paper Wasp the European Wasp will feed on nectar and waste, they are attracted to anything that has a sweet substance to it.